Rep: gay mc, mlm love interest, Black sc

This is a pretty cute book. Ben and his friends are right out of college and just moved in together. Ben is trying to start his writing career, but struggles to find a job at all. He eventually finds a restaurant that’s willing to hire him, but first, he must pass a series of tests.

I think everyone will agree that Watson the taste testing pig is one of the best characters. I did not expect that. He’s adorable. Impress your potential boss? Nah, impress his taste testing pig LOL Speaking of the boss, he acts all tough but he really does care about his employees (and especially Watson).

Liam is adorable, I really liked him. The romance was a slow burn, but Ben and Liam work really well together. I loved that Ben’s friends are all geeks and were supportive of him.

Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It’s short, sweet and wholesome

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This was such a cute story. One of my new year’s resolutions is to read more graphic novels, and this was a sweet one to start with. I loved the art style and the color palette, it was what caught my attention at first.
There is a little bit of romance, but the main focus is on Ben’s struggles to decide what to do with his life. A relatable topic for most in our generation with a lighthearted and positive approach. Also, the least realistic aspects,like Watson, were adorable and did a great job to put a smile on your face.

Amazing! I seriously enjoyed this book so much I can’t wait to be able to buy a copy.

It was completely relatable ! Everyone knows what it is like just coming out of college and needing to find a job. Find out what happens to these fun loving characters as a leap into something new turns into passion.

My favorite part of this book was the pig! Read it so you can see what I am talking about!

This was such a sweet, saccharine story about self-discovery and realizing that the career you wanted at 18 might not be the career you want after you graduate.

Ben was a wonderfully relatable protagonist: freshly graduated from college with a degree that means nothing without experience. Attempting to find some sort of employment, he applies for a no-experience-needed cooking position at a local restaurant. He goes through ups and downs with work and his personal life, amounting to the questions of what makes him happy and how to make his own way in the world.

The art is great: the food looks delicious on the page and the character's expressions really stand out and show their feelings about a situation.

I would have liked to learn a little bit more about Liam, Be's co-worker/crush. We got little tidbits here and there but I would have liked to discover what he likes outside of cooking and more reasons for Ben to fall for him outside of work. .

Chef’s Kiss is a delightful graphic novel about Ben Cook, a recent college graduate, who finds himself applying for a job in a restaurant after getting passed over for jobs related to his field. As someone who graduated from college with an English degree, I felt Ben’s blues about what to do with his life when all entry-level jobs require experience.

This was such a charming story. I loved all of the characters, especially Ben and Liam (Ben’s super hot mentor at the restaurant). There was enough description of food that I found myself itching to go to a restaurant and just asking the chef to surprise me with whatever they wanted to make.

Some parts of were a little jarring, not fitting in with the rest of the story tonally. There were some characters that were not given the same amount of room to shine as others and there was a lot of time given to Watson, the taste-testing pig. These moments pulled me enough from the story that it dampened my enjoyment.

All in all, I really liked this! A solid 4-star read.

It took me a little bit to get invested in the character, but about half way through I was hooked. The artwork is crisp and sharp and even on digital the words were easily readable. Ben is a loveable character that readers are sure to root for and identify with. I really appreciated the changing nature of his childhood friendship and how they both insecurities about it and that friendship was given as much, if not more, weight as the blossoming romance between Ben and Liam. The romance was cute and well-done. A solid, fun, cute graphic novel.

This was SO CUTE! I'm so happy a digital ARC of this landed in my inbox this afternoon. Chef's Kiss is a lighthearted, post-college coming-of-age comic that leaves readers laughing and cheering throughout.

Chef's Kiss centers around Ben, a recent college graduate who's struggling to find work as a writer to help achieve his lifelong dream. After seventeen disastrous interviews (and lying to his parents about landing a job), Ben needs to find any job to help fund his new life, FAST. When he stumbles upon a no experience necessary poster for a job as a chef, he applies since he loves to cook in his spare time. But applying comes with a surprise twist: he has three weeks to prove himself to the hard-to-please owner and his even more challenging taste tester: a lively pig.

Throughout the comic, Ben struggles to balance his newfound adulthood, his friendships evolving, his crush on the sous chef, and the struggle between following his hard-to-achieve dream or to follow a new path where he's found growth and happiness. Ben's struggle is relatable to anyone, especially twenty-somethings still trying to figure out what the rest of their life will be, and this comic is a light way to explore those worries while still getting a delightful story along the way. I can't wait to see it in print this March!

Chef’s Kiss is a new graphic novel from Oni Press. Ben Cook and his friends recently graduated from college and moved in together to start their careers. Ben majored in English in college and after applying to a number of writing and editing provisions becomes discouraged. After seeing a restaurant was hiring with no experience necessary he applies. His mentor, Liam, ushers him through three weeks of challenges to determine if he’ll get the position. While trying out a position at the Cochon Doré, Ben develops a crush on Liam.

This graphic novel is beautifully drawn and written with such heart, full of tender and funny moments. From the opening pages, this novel seemed to tell my story. Ben is moving into his apartment and his roommates make fun of all his books. I immediately fell for all of the characters, though some could have been fleshed out more. We didn’t get a lot of story for the roommates and the people at the restaurant. I have been in a similar position after graduating from college and trying to find work. This book really captures the uncertainty of post-adolescence but an era defined by strong friendships. I loved the marriage of a gay coming-of-age story with the culinary world. If you’re looking for something a little more mature and grounded in present day culture, check this out.

This was so cute! Love the food descriptions and the absurdity of the pig being the taster. The romance was VERY slow burn, would have liked more tension between the Cook and the love interest, but still enjoyed it a lot!

Loved the artwork in this, as well as the lgbtqia+ representation. I loved the friendships and how accurate it describes how hard it can be to get a job after college. This is a new adult graphic novel.

This graphic novel was a breath of fresh air and absolutely how I needed to start the new year - a big thank you to NetGalley and publishers for giving me an eARC in return for an honest review.

After graduating from school, Ben has been having a tough time finding a writing job when he stumbles across a ‘We’re Hiring’ sign in the window of a local establishment and decides to take the plunge into something entirely new. Navigating his parents disapproval, an awkward new boss, and his friends feeling left out - we’re along for the ride while Ben's path starts to become much less clear.

I absolutely adored this book. It was a story about feeling lost, finding joy and experiencing the mistakes and mishaps in between - as someone who struggled to find a direction after finishing university, this is something that I think will really resonate with it's readers, young and old and perhaps inspire them, too.

The artwork was lovely; it’s really cute, easy on the eyes and adds a really soft vibe to the story! I really enjoyed the pages dedicated to food, too. I know it’s a food based graphic novel, but feeling like we were part of the cooking process with the recipes and imagery really added that extra dimension.

The characters were brilliant - my favourites (aside from Ben) being the best friend and the grumpy boss figure; both with great personalities that I thought were really believable. I loved seeing the dynamic of how friendships and relationships change and grow as you navigate adulthood, with the inclusion of disagreements and learning to communicate better with the people around you. Then there was the pig (the one on the cover), he's a real character! That lovely animal is the pet of our restaurant manager and plays a role in Ben winning or losing at his new job - such a unique and fun part to the story.

My overall favourite part of this comic was the underlying message it gave; that growth and experiencing new things is necessary to finding out who you want to be, and that it’s okay to stray from your once-planned path! Perfect for not only teens and young adults, but just anyone who maybe needs that boost of confidence and encouragement.

It had me not only resonating with the lead characters position, but smiling, laughing and ultimately wanting more!

thank you netgalley for the arc!

this year i'm trying to branch out and read more graphic novels and this was a cute and fun one to read! i loved ben and the friendships he had with his housemates, ALSO: WATSON!!! i was hoping for a tad more of the queer relationship than there was but overall it had it cute moments, it made me laugh out loud at times, and i loved how it all came together in the ending! i would for sure read a sequel if there ever was one, and would recommend to anyone who is looking for some wholesome queer foodie vibes!

ALSO WHAT SOCKS COST $80?!?!?!?! ahahaha

4.5 Stars!

This was the most adorable, sweet, queer graphic novel, and at the same time, so weird. (Watson the food critic pig!) I feel like there was some not so subtle messaging with that one. Haha! I really related to Ben in this story. I too kind of fell into food as a career and it definitely wasn't the plan in college. The art style is really fun and well done!

Romance and food, my two favourite elements.
Chef's kiss was amazing from the story to the art, it's a masterpiece. It's so refreshing to actually read a story about people in my age group realizing that just because you have spent years studying something , you can always pursue sth new as long as it makes you happy. I loved the friendships and romantic interest. I loved the crushes and the petty fights and I adored all the cooking discussions and recipes. It honestly made me hungry and eager to go cook something.Ben and Liam were so cute together. Also, the art was so realistic ,it was like I could step into this world and be part of it.
I really enjoyed how even the supporting characters were given their own depth, personality, interests and hobbies and I can safely admit that I was totally invested in them.
I hope we can read more about this story in the future, please.

I was so excited when I got approved for this ARC, as it was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022. "Chef's Kiss" is truly a little gem full of comfort and funny moments, as well as little twists you would not expect.
This graphic novel follows newly graduated Ben Cook, who's interviewing process for copywriting jobs is not going well at all. When he stumbles upon a job at a very peculiar restaurant, where he will learn more things about himself and about his future.
I loved this a lot, and I think it is perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo's "With The Fire on High" and "Check, Please" by Ngozi Ukazu. Every person freshly out of college or university can relate to Ben's struggles within the job market, as well as heading down an unexpected path instead of staying in a comfort zone. Melendez also does a great job when introducing us to several side characters that are as well rounded as Ben himself, and it is a detail I truly appreciate in novels.
Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel, which is quick and comforting enough to become an audience's favourite this year.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Chef's Kiss by Jarre Melendez, Danica Brine and Hank Jones.

First of all I really loved the artwork in this graphic novel. I enjoyed the rich colours and the style of the characters.

It's not the normal route for me (romance/fiction), but I was surprised to find it enjoyable.

I read Chef's Kiss over two days- not my normal one sitting for a graphic novel. I just felt like I needed a break from the Head Chef as his attitude seemed forced and quite unrealistic.

Overall the book was enjoyable!

Adorable!
I don't usually enjoy rom-coms, but I loved this one! Would definitely recommend it to others as well.
Thank you to NetGalley, and Publishers for providing me with an E-arc of "Chef's Kiss" by Jarrett Melendez, in exchange for an honest review.

DNF-ish

I tried downloading it like four times and i can't fix this: every single time, most of the pages are blank. I liked what I could read, I think the art style is pretty solid, but i can't enjoy it fully if it's missing like 80/125 pages.

Beautifully written, wholesome and just plain cute! The characters are so lovable and the story flows wonderfully. This is a wonder debut for Melendez. I'll be interested to see what he does next! I would have enjoyed more playful or stylized art, but that's just a personal taste. Brine's storytelling skills are amazing. I'll for sure be recommending!

I really really enjoyed this one. I had requested the arc on a whim just because of the cover! I was surprised to find our main character wasn’t a chef before the story started as that’s what I was getting from the cover art! The art was adorable and well done! I find lately that graphic novels or fully colored illustrations can be good but sort of sloppy or almost unfinished in smaller panels in other books, but this one has consistently good art all the way through. No goofy smooshed faces in a small panel box.
The Story was great and heartwarming with the right amount of drama mixed in. I will admit that at times the dialogue was kind of cheesy, but seeing as the character are fresh out of college age it is mostly realistic. If you’re looking for a fun, heartwarming story to spend an hour or two on this is for you! Thank you so much Netgalley for the chance to read this early! #netgalley #chefskiss